In this BONUS episode, we dive into the provocative world of Erwin Verweij’s latest book: ‘How the f*ck to be Agile?‘ Erwin shares his journey from frustration to clarity as he witnesses organizations adopting Agile frameworks without understanding their purpose. With candid stories from his coaching experiences, Erwin reveals what happens when teams wake up to real agility beyond dogmatic practices and how organizations can find their own path to meaningful change.
The Wake-Up Call for Agile Adoption
“What the f*ck dude! Do you even know what it means? Do you really know what it means?”
Erwin’s journey to writing this book began with growing frustration at how companies approach agility. He frequently encountered teams proudly declaring “We’re Agile!” or “Our department is Agile” without understanding what that truly meant.
This disconnect between label and understanding became the catalyst for his provocatively-titled wake-up call. Erwin describes his exasperation with organizations adopting frameworks halfheartedly, following mindsets that were completely off track, and ultimately “doing stuff without knowing what they’re doing and why they’re doing it.” The F-word in his book title serves dual purposes – expressing his frustration while also functioning as a power word to wake people up from their complacency.
Breaking Free from Framework Dogma
“We’re not gonna do Agile. Forget it. And we’re not gonna do Scrum, even though you’re doing Scrum. Let’s look at what really works for you people.”
Rather than imposing rigid frameworks, Erwin advocates for teams to discover what actually works in their specific context. He shares a memorable story of tearing down Scrum posters that management had installed, shocking team members who couldn’t believe he would challenge the prescribed approach.
In another example, Erwin creatively used a manager’s “quarantine” language by posting contamination warnings at a department’s entrance with the message: “If you enter this room, you might get contaminated with a new way of working.” These disruptive approaches are designed to shake people from blindly following orders and encourage them to think critically about their processes.
Finding Your Own Path to Agility
“Any coach who goes into a company with a strict plan and a set approach – don’t hire them. They don’t have a clue what to do.” Continue reading BONUS: Beyond Frameworks, A Provocative Guide to Real Agility With Erwin Verweij
